The Iceman

Released by: Millennium Entertainment
Released on: September 3, 2013.
Director: Ariel Vroman
Cast: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, James Franco
Year: 2012
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The Movie:

There really isn't a lot to THE ICEMAN. Based on the true crime case of hit man Richard Kuklinski (played here to perfection by Michael Shannon) the source material was initially covered extensively in both a book by Philip Carlo (though oddly this film is supposedly an adaptation of a lesser book written by Anthony Bruno that had more if a focus on the law enforcement side of this equation) and a series of HBO specials. Both formats allowed for a much deeper presentation of the material at hand but as a film THE ICEMAN gets the narrative done - sketchily.

Kuklinski was the product of a violent home. Beaten regularly by an abusive after and neglected by a mother simply unable to protect him, young Richard was in a perfect incubator for sociopathy and violent tendencies. We first see him on a date in the 1960's with a very pretty Winona Ryder (Deborah). He's quite inarticulate - but his brooding manner clearly intrigues the young woman. Next thing you know they are married and getting ready to start a family. The lies, however, are there right from the start. Richard tells his wife he is a dubber for cartoons when in actuality he is a low level criminal involved in the cheapie mafia run porn business. This line of work puts him in the sights of wiseguy Roy Demeo (Ray Liotta). Some reels of film are missing and Roy and his boys have come to get their pound of flesh. After taking a beating with little visible emotion administered by a couple of Demeo's thugs Richard manages the impress the mobster. He decides to see if Kuklinski can apply that cold blooded quality to contract murder.

The rest of the film plays out in a series of horrifying or disturbing vignettes laced with some black humor. Kuklinski turns out to not only be a natural - but a man with some sick panache. Icepicks, arrows and even highly sophisticated cyanide sprays worthy of a Cold War assassin are just a few of his tricks. While the mobsters cross and double-cross each other The Iceman racks up kills for Demeo - and then later freelance with his new associate Mr. Freezy (a hilariously disturbing Chris Evans as a gleeful hitman who operates out of a low rent ice cream truck). And all the while Kuklinski is throwing birthday parties for his two lovely daughters and having normal sexual relations with his loving and unsuspecting wife. It's the "I love my family but like to kill too" ping pong game.

While Liotta, Robert Davi and David David Schwimner (as a pathetic mobster wannabe) turn in solid character work the film really belongs to Shannon (interestingly, the role was originally offered to Mickey Rourke but I think he would have been too obvious).Ryder does a terrific job with what she's given but Shannon just dominates this thing with his performance. He's scary beyond belief with his deadeye stare and hulking frame. This is a guy who gets calmer when a gun is put to his head. He's prepared to die at any second but also calculating the angles at the same time. He's also got a great gravelly vocal growl that suits the character right down to the ground. But there is some conflicted humanity there too - he has a marital meltdown with Ryder and a scene with a road rage incident that show his range. The best moments of the performance are when Shannon's Kuklinski makes rash decisions and abandons his usual careful planning. When he goes full on murderous animal it is unforgettable. His scenes with Evans and Davi are terrific and his bone chilling encounter with a begging James Franco in a cameo as a sleaze bag jailbait porn photographer won't be easily erased from the memory banks.

Taking place primarily in the 70's and 80's the attention to period detail is also impressive. Sideburns and mustaches look right without slipping into parody. Nightclub scenes use appropriate period music. The film has a nicely grimy look to it perfectly suited to the era and subject matter.

Video/Audio/Extras:

Millennium Entertainment brings THE ICEMAN to HD with a very impressive 1080p AVC encoded 1.85.1 widescreen transfer. There is a lot of desaturation at work here - but it is clearly there on purpose. Consequently, there is very little outstanding color visible. It s a dark and gritty aesthetic but detail is strong. Every crag on Shannon's intimidating mug is nicely accentuated and the pool halls and crappy bars and photo studios look perfect. There is no digital manipulation to the image so no one will be thinking of wax museums or sharply edged objects while watching this.

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 default track is also strong. Gunshots pop nicely with plenty of crack on both ends and the music is immersive at times (like the nightclub scene) but ambient noise is handled discreetly. Birds on those tree lined streets of Kuklinski's neighborhood blend nicely with traffic sounds. Dialog is clear and centered. There is also a 2.0 Dolby Digital track offered in stereo as well as English and Spanish subtitles.

The extras basically consist of two featurettes. One is a thirty minute making of piece ad the other is a "behind the scenes" piece that clocks in just shy of ten minutes. The "making of" doc is the better of the two. Featuring interviews with the director and cast, it is mostly a fluff piece used to market the film to audiences but some of the genuine enthusiasm for the project by its participants does come through. The second and shorter presentation is a bit redundant but does show off some location shots not seen in the film. Finally you get a Millennium pictures trailer set selling some of their other projects.

The Final Word:

Recommended for Michael Shannon's performance THE ICEMAN is a solid crime picture. A bit scattershot and rushed at times compared to it's voluminous source material, it is nevertheless worthwhile viewing.

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!